Fat Transfer to Hands

The goal of fat transfer to hands is to provide additional padding or cushion beneath the skin, thus correcting the gaunt appearance and “concealing” the tendons and veins that become visible due to age-induced skin thinning and soft tissue atrophy (shrinkage).

Leading Inland Empire plastic surgery expert Dr. Tarick Smiley has recently posted a series of videos on Snapchat to demonstrate fat transfer to hands or hand rejuvenation. Instead of injecting readily available dermal fillers such as Juvederm and Restylane, he used the patient’s own fat.

Fat transfer, also called fat grafting, is a more cost-effective technique than traditional fillers because of the near permanent results, with studies suggesting that on average they last 12-15 years. Dermal fillers, meanwhile, require 2-3 touch-ups every year to maintain their effects.

Dr. Smiley says the surgery starts with gentle liposuction to collect fats ideally from the flanks or abdomen as they contain a type of fat that promotes smooth results. Fibrous fats that are commonly found in the back and “bra rolls,” meanwhile, are best avoided because of the increased risk of surface irregularities, he says.

Gentle fat collection is immediately followed by purification through centrifuge to separate out any biomaterial such as the blood and oil. With pure golden fats, about 70 percent (or even higher) of the injected volume is expected to be near permanent, provided that the grafts have formed their new blood supply.

In one of the Snapchat videos, Dr. Smiley is seen injecting purified fat beneath the skin to provide added cushion, leading to hands that now appear more rejuvenated, smoother, and healthier, he says.

The celebrity plastic surgeon says that fat transfer to hands entails meticulous injection to further promote high survival rate and long-term results.

“Minute droplet of fat ensures smoother and nicer results, as well as blood vessel ingrowth. The fat beneath the skin also creates a tauter appearance,” he further explains.

Dr. Smiley says that swelling is a common side effect of fat transfer to hands, which is expected to subside within a few weeks.